Round-the-Clock Purple and Gold

Taco Night and O, Canada! Truly a red letter evening

March 11, 2008 | 7:16
pm

Not that I don't love our National Anthem, and I'd like to think I'm as patriotic as anyone else who doesn't cry at truck commercials, but that said, I've always been a big advocate of the one used by our neighbors to the north. When I was a mere tyke back in St. Louis, I used to look forward to Blues games when the Maple Leafs were in town (or any other Canadian team, for that matter, but the Leafs were in the old Norris with the Note) just because of the whole O, Canada thing. Combine that with taco night and a fine NBA basketball game, and it's really a celebration of North America generally. I couldn't be happier.

Beyond that, not much new to report. Keep an eye on the mini-scouting report from earlier this afternoon. The Lakers will need to close out on perimeter shooters, because Toronto loves the outside game, even with Chris Bosh around. Without him? Yikes.

More from AK below.

BK

I talked to Sasha in the locker room and brought up the card sharking accusations he lobbied at Pau Gasol. He said they play a card game called "tongue," and despite considering myself fairly well-schooled in the green felted world, I've never heard of it. Turns out, neither has Sasha. His basic description of the game is that the rules constantly change, and always in Gasol's favor. Gasol then walked by and Sasha reiterated that the Spaniard was a cheater and called Gasol out for saying the same about him. Gasol defended himself, saying that he was only reacting to what the writer told him Sasha said. But Sasha also claimed to have been called a cheater first. What they were witnessing, I joked, was how the media plays teammates against each other to get the dirt and create "problems." Especially on a team where everyone gets along and (God forbid) seems to like each other. Can't have that.

A quick fashion update: Vujacic will be debuting a slightly different skinny headband today! I think it might have been slightly skinnier, but to be totally honest, I doubt anybody will be able to know the difference without the use of a Tivo pause button and a magnifying glass. But as you know, we break all the stories, however trivial.

I also quickly ran into Trevor Ariza and asked how he was doing. "Feeling better, getting better." Of course, he's said that a lot, so I wonder if it's just his way of saying, "I'm tired of answering that question." Can't say I blame him.